Most institutions assume that if the vendor has a solid project plan, they are covered. That assumption is one of the most underestimated risks in ERP and SIS transformations. Vendors know their software well, but they cannot know the internal steps your campus needs to take to truly make the system work in practice.
The Hidden Gap Between Implementation and Readiness
There is a meaningful difference between implementing a system and being ready to operate it day to day. Replacing one system with another does not mean your institution will function the same way afterward. In fact, most campuses are intentionally not trying to lift and shift old processes into a new platform. That is where the hidden work begins.
Legacy systems quietly shaped data definitions, reporting habits, integrations, calendars, and even informal workarounds. When the foundation changes, everything connected to it feels the ripple effects. This is not a technical problem alone. It is an operational one.
Why Modernization Touches Everything
When a new ERP or SIS comes online, data models change and definitions need alignment across offices. Integrations and downstream reporting often require rethinking, not simple replacement. Processes that once worked need redesign rather than replication. New checklists, calendars, and ownership models must be created so people know who does what and when.
At the same time, teams are being trained on a system that behaves fundamentally differently from what they used before. Without clarity around new workflows and expectations, training alone cannot carry the load.
Why Vendors Cannot Be Your Only Guide
This orchestration work rarely fits cleanly into a vendor or implementation partner scope, and it is underestimated almost every time. Vendors are not embedded in your governance model, your culture, or your operational realities. That is not a failure on their part. It simply is not their role or area of expertise.
The most effective guidance comes from lived experience. Institutions learn fastest by connecting with peers who have already navigated the post go live reality and by working with advisors who focus on operational readiness, not just technical milestones.
Planning for What Comes After Go Live
Transformation rarely fails at go live. It fails in the under planned work that follows. The institutions that succeed are the ones that invest early in their own internal project plans and treat operational readiness as real work, not a footnote.
That is where lasting impact is created and where modernization finally starts to feel worth it.
Final Thoughts
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